High Density Die Casting (HDDC): New frontiers in the manufacturing of heat sinks

Abstract

Finding a good solution for thermal management problems is every day more complex. due to the power density and the required performances. When a solution suitable for high volumes is needed. die-casting and extrusion are the most convenient technologies. However designers have to face the well-known limitations for those processes. High Density Die Casting (HDDC) is a process under advanced development. in order to overcome the extrusion and traditional die casting limits by working with alloys having much better thermal performances than the traditional die-casting process. while keeping the advantages of a flexible 3D design and a low cost for high volumes. HDDC offers the opportunity to design combining different materials (aluminium and copper. aluminium and stainless steel) obtaining a structure with zero porosity and overcoming some of die-casting limits. as shown in this paper. A dedicated process involving embedded heat pipes is currently under development in order to offer the possibility to dramatically improve the heat spreading. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.